Monomyth: Saturnalia Regalia!

Ryan Reed on July 28, 2014

A lot of modern indie-rock bands hover rather anonymously between dream-pop and shoegaze, hiding their half-formed hooks behind endless waves of flange and reverb. Halifax, Nova Scotia-based four-piece Monomyth aren’t an exception to that trend, at least on a purely sonic level—on first listen, their debut LP drifts by on an indistinct wave of indecipherable lyrics and live-in-the-garage jangle. But digging deeper reveals an impressive eclecticism—from the melted guitar spasms of “Downer” to the spiraling, dual-guitar break on the lovely “Pac Ambition,” from the doo-wop churn of “Patsy” to the classic-rock chorus of “Something Else.” There’s a playful sense of exploration on Saturnalia Regalia!, as the band saunters haphazardly through styles and tempos—all of them glued together by a stoned smirk.

Artist: Monomyth
Album: Saturnalia Regalia!
Label: Mint